Making the Grade as a Trainer
by TranscodeNightCat
Summary: Aaron has been sent to an elite Pokemon Trainer boarding school. Here he makes new friends and grows with them and his Pokemon. Like any school, there is drama, relationships, tests, mean teachers, bullies, friends, homework, and of course Pokemon battles. Aaron has to learn to deal with all of these things as he finds his place in the Pokemon world and maybe even more.
1. Chapter 1

_Aaron was eight years old, not yet old enough to be a trainer, but old enough to want to explore on his own. Aaron's parents were fairly wealthy and controlling of him, but every now and again he managed to sneak out of the house. One day, he came across a Rattata stuck in a fence and helped it out. Aaron liked the Pokémon and it liked him. Aaron brought it home to show his parents, but they were very displeased with it. They told him that a boy as wealthy as him should have a more worthy Pokémon when he got his trainer's license. Aaron was sad when he heard that, and he wasn't going to get rid of his new friend that easily. Aaron would sneak out of the house constantly to go play with the Rattata who always waited for Aaron in the same place. Aaron helped build him a little shelter and planted berries nearby, so that he always had food. Aaron's parents tried to stop him, but they knew that he was determined to keep the Rattata as his friend and eventually his partner. "We'll always be friends. And when I'm a trainer, you'll be my partner." Aaron told the Rattata who let out a cry of joy as it climbed on his shoulder and nuzzled against him, something he would do frequently to show his love for Aaron._

That was four years ago. Aaron was twelve now and had just gotten his trainer's license. He had short, uncombed brown hair that stuck up in weird places, and yellow eyes. Aaron's father had given Aaron a luxury ball to capture the Rattata, but Aaron wasn't for the rich kid lifestyle that his parents pushed on him; he traded the ball for five pokeballs, one of which he used to catch his Rattata. When Aaron became a trainer, he knew that his parents would have some say in the matter when they enrolled him in an elite Pokémon trainer boarding school in the Traksus _(Tracks-us)_ region, a region that had Pokemon from many different regions living in it; people referred to it as a hybrid region as it seemed to be a combination of several regions and trainers from those regions.

Aaron disembarked the plane wearing a black blazer with gold buttons and the school's emblem on the left breast; he also wore khaki pants and black dress shoes. Underneath the blazer he was wearing a white shirt and black tie, the school uniform. Over his shoulder he had a messenger bag which he reached in to and pulled out a pokeball. "Rattata, we're here." Aaron said as he called the Pokémon out. The Pokémon excitedly jumped on Aaron's shoulder and nuzzled against him while Aaron petted him causing the Pokémon and Aaron to smile as they walked to the baggage claim to get Aaron's suitcase. After Aaron got his stuff, he went outside and recalled his Rattata as he got in to a cab and drove to the school.

The cab dropped Aaron off at the gate of the school where some upperclassmen were standing. "Hey first year." One of them taunted. Aaron tried to ignore him but he grabbed Aaron by the collar of his shirt. "First year, when I call your name you better listen." He growled.

"My name's not first year. It's Aaron." He replied coldly as he kicked the upperclassmen in the chest causing him to drop Aaron.

"You got some nerve kid, but I'll show you what happens when you don't respect your upperclassmen. Machoke, come on out." He said as he called out his Pokémon.

"Rattata, give me a hand." Aaron called out his Pokémon.

"You have a lot to learn. Fighting types have a serious advantage over puny little normal types like that runt." The boy chuckled.

Aaron scowled at him; he hated when people disrespected his partner. "Then you won't mind if I go first. Rattata use quick attack." Aaron said as his Pokémon charged at the Machoke. Aaron's Rattata moved very quickly, and it was almost a blur as it jumped on to the Machoke who wasn't fazed by the attack.

"That was pathetic." The upperclassmen laughed as did his Pokémon. "Machoke, use karate chop!" He called out.

"Rattata use super fang on his arm." Aaron called out. Aaron's Pokémon did as instructed as it saw the Machoke ready its attack and leapt on its arm sinking its teeth deeply in to it. The Machoke stopped its attack as it kept trying to shake off Aaron's Rattata who eventually let go as it was thrown back. "Are you okay?" Aaron asked. The Pokémon looked back at Aaron and smiled as it let out a small cry showing that it still wanted to fight.

"Kid, you're not going to win. Now why don't you forfeit before your friend gets hurt." The boy said as he instructed his Machoke to use karate chop.

Aaron's Rattata dodged the attack. Aaron fumbled in his bag until he found what he was looking for. "Snack time." Aaron called out as he threw four berries at his Rattata who caught each one and ate them quickly; Aaron threw a chople berry to weaken the Machoke's attack, a liechi berry to boost its attack, a salac berry to boost its speed, and a sitrus berry to restore some health.

"This isn't dinner time. It's a battle!" The boy shouted as he began ordering his Machoke to attack again. The Machoke used karate chop again and hit Aaron's Rattata while it finished eating all of the berries, but the chople berry weakened the blow. Aaron smiled at his partner who was still standing from an attack that should have finished him off.

"Berries are a powerful resource in a battle. You should learn how to use them. Now Rattata, finish him off with hyper fang!" Aaron called out as his Rattata ran incredibly fast at the Machoke and bit down very hard on him. When Aaron's Rattata finished biting him, he had won the battle as the boy recalled his Machoke.

Aaron gave his Rattata a hug before recalling him. "I have to go to my dorm now." Aaron said as he grabbed his stuff and walked off leaving the boy standing there.

Aaron got to his room and opened the door to see another boy setting up his stuff on the top bunk. "I hope that you don't mind that I take the top bunk." He said as he introduced himself as Drew. He had dirty blonde hair, brown eyes, and was fairly tall; he was also skinny. Aaron sat his stuff down on the bottom bunk and introduced himself before he started to unpack his stuff. The room wasn't very big, but it had the bare essentials like a TV, two desks, and dressers as well as two small closets; there was also a mini fridge in the corner. Aaron finished making his bed and setting up his laptop on the desk, and unpacking his stuff.

"So what kind of Pokémon do you have?" Drew asked. Aaron just pulled out his pokeball and called out his Rattata who jumped on to Aaron's shoulder and nuzzled his side. The Rattata growled slightly at Drew as it was very protective of Aaron, but Aaron told him that he was okay as Drew put his hand out and the Rattata nuzzled it. "Pretty affectionate little Rattata." Drew said as he scratched it behind the ears.

"And powerful. So what kind of Pokémon do you have?" Aaron asked as he watched Drew pull out his pokeball. Drew called out his Pokémon, a Shroomish. "Cool Shroomish. I take it that you're waiting for it t become a Breloom?" Aaron asked as Drew patted the Shroomish on the head. Aaron's Rattata introduced itself to the Shroomish who was very friendly as Aaron's Rattata playfully pounced on its head.

"I actually like him as a Shroomish, but if he wants to evolve that'll be awesome. So what classes are you taking?" Drew asked.

Aaron pulled out a schedule card and listed off the classes that he was taking which included the basics like math, English, P.E., and science. Aaron was also taking the Pokémon breeding class which included learning to care for, feed, breed, and raise Pokémon of all kinds, the horticulture class which involves learning to grow herbs and berries and their medicinal uses. There was also a battling class which was mandatory for all students to take. The school actually had field trips organized where the students would go to the gyms and challenge them in an official match.

Aaron found out that he and Drew had math, P.E., and battle class together. Both of the boys recalled their Pokémon as they started walking to the dining hall for the welcome dinner. They both saw some girls walk by; their uniforms consisted of a plaid skirt and a female version of the blazer.

"These are some pretty cute girls." Drew told Aaron as he watched them walk by.

"They're pretty, but they don't exactly seem nice." Aaron said as he watched a boy walk up to one of them and the girls laughing and walking away; he had clearly been rejected.

Just then, a girl with long light blue hair and green eyes walked up to Aaron. "Hi I'm Hayley. Do you know where the dining hall is?" She asked.

"Yeah, we're headed there right now." Drew spoke for Aaron as he was trying to flirt with this girl. Aaron and Drew introduced themselves as the trio walked to the dining hall. Apparently Hayley lived right across the hall from Aaron and Drew; the dorms were co-ed, and apparently her roommate was a girl named Abigail. Hayley later identified her as the girl with the shoulder-length light brown hair and blue eyes. She wore a pink headband and smiled at Aaron as he walked by.

The trio found their seats in the dining hall and sat down to eat, but not before a few announcements were made. A woman with purple hair in a bun wearing a gray pantsuit walked over to a podium to speak. "Firstly, welcome new students and welcome back returning students. At this school, you will hone your battling skills and find your true Pokémon calling in life. The forest is off limits to all students, and you will be expelled if you are caught in them at any time. If you have a disagreement, settle it with a battle. Other than that you are free to do as you wish. Do not think of us as teachers. Think of us as advisors. Before I forget, for those of you who do not know, I am Headmistress Silverstone."

She quickly walked off the stage as the students began eating. Aaron, Drew, and Hayley finished their food and went back to their dorm. "I'll see you in class tomorrow." Aaron said as he and Hayley went to their respective dorms. Aaron played on his computer for a little but before he got ready for bed. Aaron got in to his bed and called out his Rattata who made himself comfortable on Aaron's bed.

"You sleep with your Pokémon?" Drew asked as he looked down from the top bunk.

"Ever since I was a little kid." Aaron said as he stroked his Rattata's fur.

"Good night." Drew said smiling as he went back up to his bed.

"Good night." Aaron responded followed by a cry from his Rattata which Aaron knew as him saying goodnight. Aaron's eyes closed, and he drifted off to sleep as his Rattata got comfortable in Aaron's bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Aaron woke up to his alarm and got ready as he got dressed, and as soon as he stirred his Rattata did too. Drew also woke up to the alarm and got dressed. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast before class." Aaron said as he picked up his Rattata in his arms.

Drew grabbed his bag and followed them. "You guys don't really like to be apart, do you?" Drew asked as he walked next to them.

"We've had a strong bond since we first met, and it's only grown stronger." Aaron told him as Hayley and Abigail ran up to them.

"Hey guys. Are you going to breakfast?" Hayley asked as Aaron and Drew invited her and Abigail to join them. "Who's this little guy?" Hayley asked as she petted Aaron's Rattata who didn't seem to mind.

"He's my partner." Aaron explained. "I don't like to keep him in his pokeball too often because we always like to be together."

"He's so cute." Abigail said stroking his fur. Aaron's Rattata smiled at the attention as he climbed up Aaron's arm and perched himself on his shoulder. When they got to the cafeteria, they each received a tray to get their breakfast; Aaron's Rattata received a small bowl of Pokémon food. They all sat down to eat; Aaron's Rattata sat on the table with Drew's Shroomish who was also enjoying some Pokémon food. Abigail and Hayley also called out their Pokémon; Hayley had a Butterfree and Abigail had an Espeon.

After breakfast the friends recalled their Pokémon, and Aaron and Drew went to math class where the teacher was a woman who wore a pantsuit, had short blue hair, and a very friendly attitude. She started teaching almost immediately after all of the students arrived. Aaron and Drew then went to P.E. where they had to change in to their gym clothes and run laps. Abigail and Hayley were also in their P.E. class, and they talked a little bit as they jogged. After P.E., Aaron went to English where he had to write about where he was from for a grade. Aaron's science class consisted of a woman with brown hair that was in a bun, she also wore glasses and a lab coat; she had her partner by her side which was a Manectric.

Aaron's history class was a bit more interesting. The teacher had silver hair and blue eyes; he spoke with a British accent that made all of the girls in his class swoon over him. He wore a crisp gray suit, but the thing that caught Aaron's attention was the key stone fashioned in to one of his cuff links. "Class, my name is Professor Carter. Together we are going to study the history of Pokémon and humans together, and to do that I feel that I should teach together with my Pokémon, so without further ado, Lucario come on out!" He shouted. Everyone looked at the incredible Pokémon with wide eyes and awe. Professor Carter and his Lucario took a bow as the students settled down. The Lucario had a piece of armor on one of its shoulders with a mega stone embedded in to it. "Does anyone here know what mega evolution is?" The professor asked as Aaron raised his hand. He looked at his class roster. "Aaron." He called out.

"Mega evolution is the bond between a trainer and their Pokémon which is reflected in a temporary form of their Pokémon that is much stronger than its normal form." Aaron said.

"Very good Aaron." Professor Carter praised him. "Would you like to see mega evolution?" Professor Carter asked the class who all responded excitedly. The professor smiled and touched his key stone as a blinding light formed between him and his Lucario. When the light cleared, the Lucario had changed drastically and it gave off a very powerful aura; it seemed to be looking directly at Aaron with piercing eyes. The Lucario returned back to normal after a few minutes while the professor was teaching.

After history class, Aaron was talking with a few boys in the hallway before he had to go to lunch and then his afternoon classes. "So what do you have after lunch?" He asked Aaron.

"Horticulture." Aaron responded.

The boys who seemed nice at first started laughing at him. "Dude, that's a girl's class." One of them said still laughing. "Want me to sign you up for baking too?" One of them asked still laughing. "Or maybe contest coordinating." All of them were picking on Aaron and calling him a loser.

Aaron pulled out his pokeball. "If you're so cool than prove it in a battle." Aaron said angrily.

The group of boys as well as Aaron walked to the school courtyard; one of the boys decided to be the referee. Several students and even a few teachers crowded around to watch the battle take place. "Rattata, let's teach these guys a lesson!" Aaron shouted as he threw the pokeball.

"Dude, even your Pokémon is a weakling. Onix, come on out!" The boy shouted throwing his pokeball.

"I'm going first." The boy said. "Onix, use rock tomb." Aaron's Rattata tried to dodge the attack, but he was encased in boulders "Now use dig." The boy called out as Aaron's Rattata was trapped and then knocked high in to the air by the dig attack.

"Rattata, are you okay?" Aaron asked worriedly as he watched his partner stand up; he spoke in his usual Pokémon talk and gave Aaron a look of determination that Aaron reciprocated. "Rattata, super fang." Aaron called out as he watched his Rattata bite down on the Onix. The Onix cried out in pain as it shook Aaron's Rattata off and it landed on its feet. "Rattata, let's show him our power. With this nanab berry show him your natural gift!" Aaron shouted as he threw a berry at his Rattata who was bathed in a blue light as the berry was absorbed; it charged at the Onix and bit down on him causing it to faint. "Good job Rattata. Return." Aaron said recalling the Pokémon back to his pokeball. The boy with the Onix recalled his Pokémon and stood there looking embarrassed while several students and teachers were crowding around Aaron to congratulate him.

Aaron returned to his dorm room and got ready for horticulture class. He changed in to a pair of khaki shorts and a dark green polo with the school's emblem on the left breast; the dress code for horticulture was a bit more relaxed. Aaron walked out of his dorm to see Hayley and Abigail both wearing short khaki shorts and pink polos. "You going to horticulture?" Hayley asked smiling.

"Yeah." Aaron responded.

"Mind if we walk with you?" Both of the girls asked in unison. Before Aaron could respond, Hayley was on his right side and Abigail was on his left side as they walked to the greenhouse. As Aaron walked to the greenhouse, one of the boys from earlier tripped him. "Are you okay?" They both asked as they helped him up.

"I'm fine." Aaron said as he stood up and watched the group of boys walk away laughing.

"Don't worry about them." Abigail said.

"Don't worry, I'll get them back later." Aaron responded. When they got to horticulture class, Aaron looked around and realized that he was indeed the only boy there. Even the professor was a woman. All of the girls had on short khaki shorts and pink polos. Everyone in the room had a station with a workbench, and a storage section beneath it. Aaron's workstation had pots, a watering can, mulches, and a few berries to plant. There were also some tools on the table and hanging off of the side. Aaron's workstation was right in between Hayley's and Abigail's stations.

The professor began speaking once everyone was seated at their station. "It seems that we have a boy in the class. What a wonderful treat. This class is almost always all girls." The professor said smiling at Aaron causing the girls to giggle and him to blush from all of the attention. "Now class, this is a very hands-on class, and you are more than welcome to have your Pokémon help you." Once she said that, Aaron called out his Rattata who stood at the front of Aaron's workstation. Some of the girls cooed at the Rattata causing him to blush like Aaron had been earlier. The teacher asked a few questions on identifying certain berries, and when Aaron was called on he got them all right earning him some praise from the teacher. After the brief questions, the teacher allowed the students to plant several berries at their workstation. They would later be graded on how their berries were progressing and how they turned out. Aaron took the time to plant some of his own berries that he would use in battles and for other things; Aaron's Rattata helped plant the berries by softly patting the soil with his tail.

Aaron's breeding class was pretty uneventful, the teacher introduced himself; he was a very large, rugged man, but he was very friendly and gentle. He introduced the students to all of the Pokémon and showed them the facilities for everything like egg storage, incubators, habitats, as well as breeding grounds for certain Pokémon.

After breeding class, Aaron changed back in to his blazer and khaki pants as he headed to his battling class which was taught by Headmistress Silverstone herself. The desks were tables with two students at each of them. Aaron and Drew sat together, and Abigail and Hayley sat at the table across from them. "Ah, Aaron, the other teachers told me about your battle. Very impressive using a nanab berry to create a water attack against a rock type." After a brief introduction, the headmistress smiled as she called out her Pokémon, an Audino. "Now class, I believe that the best way to learn more about a person is about how they battle, so I thought that it would be fun to have a team battle. Pick a partner and tell them to me. Once everyone has a partner we will go to the battlefield and have a little tournament."

Aaron and Drew smiled at each other knowing that they were going to team up for the tournament. Abigail and Hayley also decided to team up. Once everyone had a partner, the teacher led the students to a stadium where she told the students who were not battling to take a seat and watch the battles. The class had thirty-two students, so there were sixteen teams, and Aaron and Drew had to beat three teams to be in the finals. The headmistress promised to heal everyone's Pokémon after their battle as her Audino brought over a healing machine.

The first round was a rough start for Aaron and Drew, but once they got each other's rhythms down, they were unstoppable. The two pulled off combo after combo along with a little help from Aaron's berries which he gave to his Rattata as well as Drew's Shroomish. They were now in the finals, and their opponents were Hayley and Abigail who also seemed to be synced with their teammate and their strategies. "This will be the final match, let's make it a good one." Headmistress Silverstone said smiling at Aaron, Drew, Hayley, and Abigail as they called out their Pokémon.

"Shroomish, bullet seed!" Drew shouted as his Shroomish bombarded Abigail's Espeon with seeds.

"Espeon, use psychic and send those seeds at Aaron's Rattata." Abigail called out as her Pokémon began using its powers as the seeds changed direction and flew at Aaron.

"Rattata, dodge it!" Aaron called out.

"Butterfree, use sleep powder and stop him in his tracks." Hayley called out. Aaron threw a chesto berry that his Rattata ate as the powder hit him.

"Rattata, take this cheri berry and give that Butterfree a taste of your natural gift." Aaron called out as he threw the berry which his Rattata absorbed as it was bathed in a red light as it charged at the Butterfree knocking it to the ground.

"Espeon use psychic once more." Abigail called out as it began to levitate the Rattata and Shroomish in mid air.

"Butterfree, use bug buzz while their down." Hayley called out to her Pokémon which began attacking Shroomish and Rattata before they fell to the ground. Their Pokémon looked defeated while they were lying on the ground, but somehow they both managed to stand up, and Drew's Shroomish started glowing; Drew's Pokémon was evolving.

When the light vanished, a Breloom was standing where the Shroomish was. "Nice." Aaron said smiling at Drew as the girls had a look of shock on their faces.

"Breloom, let's show them our new power!" Drew shouted excitedly as the Breloom rushed at Abigail's Espeon and hit it with a punch that had a black aura to it. "Shadow punch, it's super effective." Drew said smiling as the Espeon fainted.

"Rattata, let's finish this with an occa berry and natural gift." Aaron said smiling as he threw the berry at his Rattata as it was absorbed bathing him in red light once more as it attacked the Butterfree causing it to faint.

"And the winner is Aaron and Drew." Headmistress Silverstone said excitedly. Drew hugged his Breloom which was now a lot taller than his Shroomish. Aaron scooped up his Rattata who nuzzled him affectionately.

Hayley and Abigail walked over. "Good job guys. I didn't expect Drew's Shroomish to evolve like that." Abigail said smiling at him.

"You were great too, Rattata." Hayley said petting Aaron's Rattata who smiled and nuzzled her hand affectionately.

After class ended, Aaron, Hayley, Abigail, and Drew went to dinner. During dinner, Aaron had slipped some spelon berries in to his bullies' food. He and Drew laughed as they watched them try to breath fire and scream from the intense heat. Abigail and Hayley were trying to show their disapproval, but they couldn't help but giggle at the prank that Aaron pulled.

After dinner, Aaron finished his homework and took a shower before getting ready for bed; his pajamas consisted of a pair of blue shorts and a blue t-shirt with a pokeball on the front. His Rattata cuddled closely to him as he got in to his bed. It was about 9:30, but Aaron was fairly tired, and still settling in to his new school. Hayley walked in to his room wearing her pajamas which consisted of pink pajama pants and a pink t-shirt with a hood on the back and strings on the front with puffballs on the ends. She came to borrow his notes, but when she saw Aaron sleeping she quickly walked out, but not before getting Abigail to look at Aaron sleeping with his Rattata. The girls had to hold back their squeals as they saw how cute the two of them looked sleeping together.


	3. Chapter 3

Aaron woke up fumbling around until he turned his alarm clock off. Aaron got out of his bed rubbing the sleep from his eyes as Drew jumped from the top bunk creating a loud thud which made Aaron jump a little bit. Aaron put on his pants, buttoned his shirt, and tied his tie. His Rattata brought over a pair of socks for him which he carried in his mouth. "Thanks buddy." Aaron said patting his Rattata on the head as he took the socks from him. Aaron finished getting dressed and grabbed his messenger bag to make sure that he had everything. He first checked his berry bag, one of his most important items. Aaron made sure to pack an assortment of berries in to it before putting it back in to his messenger bag. Aaron also made sure that he had his laptop as well as his notebook and a few writing utensils before closing it and swinging it over his shoulder. Aaron's Rattata climbed up his leg and to his shoulder as he nuzzled Aaron and then climbed in to his messenger bag with his head peeking out of it.

Drew also finished getting dressed and grabbed his bag before they walked out the door. As always, Hayley and Abigail ran up to them and walked with them as they went to get breakfast. They were walking across the campus towards the dining hall when they heard something. Aaron saw two Pokémon run by like they were scared while shouting followed behind them. "What's that?" Abigail asked pointing to the two Pokémon running right up to them; it was a Plusle and a Minun who kept saying something in a frantic tone.

Aaron's Rattata heard the noise and peeked his head through the bag, so that he could get a better view of the commotion; he motioned for Aaron to put his bag down. Aaron did what his Rattata wanted without question and watched as it called out to the two Pokémon who jumped in to Aaron's bag while his Rattata closed the bag; Aaron put the bag back on his shoulder which was a bit heavier now and a bit more uncomfortable as the Pokémon squirmed inside.

A man wearing a green jumpsuit carrying a net ran up to the kids out of breath and panting. "Have you kids seen a Plusle and Minun?"

Aaron and his friends all shared a look and shook their heads. "Why do you ask?" Drew asked the man who told them that he was a groundskeeper.

"They keep running around the campus causing trouble. They knock over trashcans, play with school equipment, and make a huge mess. And I have to clean it all up." The man said angrily. "That's why I'm going to catch them, so that I can get rid of them." He said with a sadistic look in his eye. He noticed the squirming coming from Aaron's bag. "What do you have their kid?"

"None of your business. Now don't you have to go find a Plusle and Minun?" Aaron said hitting the bag causing the squirming to stop. The groundskeeper looked at Aaron suspiciously once more before running off. After he made sure that the coast was clear, Aaron opened his bag and let the Plusle and Minun out. "Sorry about hitting you. I just had to get you to stop moving or he would have caught you." Aaron said handing the two Pokémon some berries as his way of apologizing. They both ate the berries happily and smiled up at Aaron when they were done. They then turned to Aaron's Rattata and said something which caused him to start rummaging in Aaron's bag; he pulled out two pokeballs and motioned for Aaron to take them. "You guys want me to catch you?" Aaron asked holding up the pokeballs to them. The Pokémon both looked at each other, then at Aaron, and nodded their heads. Aaron didn't hesitate as he threw the balls and waited for them to stop shaking symbolizing that they had been captured.

"Sweet, now you have two more partners." Drew said putting an arm on Aaron's shoulder.

"I bet that you guys will all be good friends." Hayley smiled. After the brief, pause in their walk to breakfast the friends continued walking until they reached the dining hall where they had a quick breakfast before heading off to class.

Aaron's classes were pretty uneventful. His math class consisted of notes and then homework, and his science class was almost all notes which grew pretty boring until one of the students threw a beaker in to the air and the teacher's Manectric instinctively blasted it with electricity causing it to shatter; that student earned himself detention. Despite his history class being uneventful, it was still very interesting as the professor and his Lucario taught together; they were currently learning about Pokémon of nobility throughout time. Apparently Egyptians kept Solrocks and Lunatones believing that they were god-like with their sun and moon shapes; pharaohs kept Liepards as pets as well.

After history, Aaron was walking down the hall back to his dorm to get ready for his afternoon classes. Aaron saw a group of boys outside near the fountain. They saw Aaron and walked over to him. Aaron's Rattata was about to jump out of his bag to do something, but Aaron told him to stay put for now. "Where are you going?" One of them said crossing his arms and blocking Aaron's path.

"My dorm." Aaron said looking him directly in the eye.

"I think that you're lost. I'm pretty sure that you're going swimming." He said menacingly while two other boys grabbed Aaron by his arms and started dragging him to the fountain.

"Rattata, Now!" Aaron shouted as he struggled. His Rattata immediately jumped from his bag and attacked the boys while Aaron broke free. Aaron's Rattata regrouped with his partner as he jumped on Aaron's shoulder. Aaron eyed each one carefully as he punched one of them in the gut and performed a low sweep on another knocking him in to the fountain. Aaron then saw one of the boys charging directly at him; he performed a combination attack with his Rattata as he punched the boy and Aaron's Rattata ran down his arm and leapt off as it jumped on the boy and started attacking him. Aaron kept on fighting until all of the boys who attacked him were in the fountain. Aaron had a few cuts and bruises, and his clothes were slightly torn, but he didn't mind that much as he saw that his Rattata was okay. Aaron felt like someone was watching him as he saw a blue blur run by; Aaron just thought that he was fatigued from the fight.

A teacher saw Aaron as well as the boys in the fountain and confronted him. "What happened here?" She asked with her hands on her hips.

"Some bullies got what they deserved." Aaron said coldly grabbing his bag and walking off. The teacher was going to ask Aaron for his name, but she couldn't leave the boys in the fountain unattended. She sighed as she called for help from some nearby teachers.

Aaron got back to his dorm and went in to the bathroom where he cleaned the cuts and bruises on his face. By the time that he finished, they were barely noticeable. Aaron changed out of his uniform and in to his horticulture clothes. Aaron looked at the clothes that he changed out of; they were torn and not really salvageable. Aaron sighed knowing that his parents would be giving him a lecture when the school called to tell them that he ruined his uniform, and that would only be minimal if they didn't find out about the fight. Aaron sat down on his bed and groaned loudly causing his Rattata to run to his side and his Plusle and Minun to come out of their pokeballs. They ran over to Aaron to comfort him; Aaron quickly snapped out of his bad mood as his Pokémon kept nuzzling him. "Come on, let's go to horticulture." Aaron said as he opened his bag where all three of the Pokémon jumped inside.

Aaron's horticulture class was spent looking at his berry plants which had sprouted already earning him some praise from the teacher. "Class, come over and look at Aaron's station. It's clean, organized, and his berries are already sprouting." The professor said causing Aaron to blush as several of the girls crowded around him, flirted a little, and petted the Pokémon sitting on his workstation. "Aaron, how would you like to be the classroom assistant?" The professor asked smiling at him.

"What would I have to do?" Aaron asked.

"You would help carry supplies, help the other students, and a few other tasks. If you do it, I'll give you access to the berry store room." She said.

Aaron said yes knowing that the incentive being offered would be worth his while. She got Aaron to work right away as she had him carry mulch to all of the stations. Aaron sat a bag at Abigail's desk which gave her the opportunity to talk to him. "So where'd you get the cuts and bruises?" Abigail asked looking over Aaron's face.

"I got in to a fight before class." Aaron responded turning away only to see Hayley look at him.

"Are you okay?" Hayley asked putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm fine." Aaron told her taking the hand off of his shoulder and walking away.

"Are you guys okay?" Hayley asked looking at Aaron's Pokémon who all nodded their heads. After horticulture, Aaron went to breeding class and then battling class. The teacher placed a signup sheet at the front of the room for all of the students who wanted to go on the gym challenge field trip next week. Apparently the gym was a fighting gym. Aaron walked to the front of the room and picked up the pen and signed his name, followed by Drew, then Hayley, and then Abigail.

"You guys ready for this?" Drew asked excitedly as he threw his pokeball in to the air calling out his Breloom who seemed just as excited as him.

"It may be a little tough, but we'll win." Aaron said looking at his team who all smiled at him.

"It should be a piece of cake for me. Right Espeon?" Abigail asked calling out her Pokémon who let out a calm cry as she nodded her head.

"Me and Butterfree won't hold back either." Hayley said as she called out her Butterfree which landed on her head and let out an excited screech. Professor Silverstone taught for the rest of class, but whenever she had a free moment she was looking at Aaron strangely. After class ended, Aaron went straight back to his dorm to do his homework. After he finished that task, he trained with his team for a little bit as they sparred against each other; Aaron used this to learn Plusle and Minun's move sets. After training for a while, they went to dinner and ate quickly while not talking to anyone. Aaron then went back to his room to get ready for bed. He took a shower, got dressed for bed, and climbed in to his bed where his Pokémon were already waiting for him. As Aaron situated himself in the bed, his Pokémon cuddled closely to him causing him to smile as he felt asleep.

Hayley was worried about Aaron; he didn't speak at dinner and apparently before then he got in to a fight. Hayley walked in to Aaron's room where sure enough the door was unlocked, but sadly his computer was locked. Hayley sighed as she closed his computer. She then looked over at Aaron who seemed fairly happy as he slept with his Pokémon by his side. "Maybe he's just having a bad day. Whatever it is, I just hope that he's okay." Hayley thought to herself as she walked out of the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Aaron returned to normal over the next few days like Hayley had hoped. In fact Aaron was actually a bit happier as he was very excited about getting to challenge his first gym. This prompted Aaron to train hard with his team making sure that they were ready for their first gym battle. Abigail, Hayley, and Drew had also been training, and at times they would all train together in tag battles or one on one; Aaron always felt that someone was watching their battles, but he ignored the feeling. Aaron was also doing very well in his classes; he aced his history test, got a B on his math quiz, and successfully harvested his first set of berries and started growing revival herbs; all of his teachers were praising him, and a few of them seemed to be paying more attention to Aaron than usual.

The day had finally come for the students who signed up to challenge the gym to go. Aaron had his messenger bag with all three of his Pokémon peeking their heads out of the bag. His suitcase was already stowed on the bus and was going to be delivered straight to the room at the hotel that they would be staying at. The buses that would be taking the students to the hotel were owned by the school and designed for people to travel in luxury. Aaron took a seat next to Drew as his Pokémon climbed out of his bag and sat on his lap. "You guys ready for this." Aaron asked petting each one earning a smile from them as they nuzzled Aaron's hand and let out a cry of affection. "How about you, Rattata?" Aaron asked letting him climb up his arm and on to his shoulder. "Rat-ta." He cried showing a look of determination. Aaron scratched him behind the ears as the bus started moving and they were off to their destination of Oregano Town where the fighting gym as well as a few other attractions were located.

The bus ride was about thirty minutes, and during that time Aaron and Drew talked about strategies that they could use for the gym tomorrow. The bus finally made it to the town and started driving through. Aaron looked out the window of the bus and saw several people wearing black jackets, black pants, and dark sunglasses that concealed their eyes; the jackets had an unusual emblem on them that looked like a purple sphere with what appeared to be the symbol for mega evolution in black on it.

Once the bus stopped in front of the hotel, Professor Silverstone stood up to make an announcement. "Students, I know that most of you were hoping to sightsee before the gym battle tomorrow, but I'm going to have to ask you to go straight to your hotel rooms." This was met by several boos and groans from the students. "I'm sorry, but some pressing matters have come up. If you just stay in your hotel rooms then it should be nothing to worry about." All of the students nodded their heads and got off the bus where a teacher was handing out room keys to each of the students. The room organization was much like that of the dorms, and Aaron and Drew's room was connected to Hayley and Abigail's by a conjoining bathroom that they could lock from the outside for privacy. Dinner was held in the restaurant downstairs; sadly the students were still not allowed to explore the town because the disturbance had not been resolved yet.

Aaron and the other students finished eating and returned to their rooms where they were supposed to stay. Aaron took a shower and got ready for bed early knowing that there was nothing else to do and that he had a big day tomorrow. Drew, Hayley and Abigail followed suit also knowing that they had a big day tomorrow. Aaron finished getting ready for bed and jumped in to the bed with his Pokémon who cuddled closely to him as he got comfortable in his bed.

"Goodnight." Drew said smiling at Aaron with his Pokémon.

"Goodnight." Aaron said smiling as he got ready to turn out the light only for Hayley and Abigail to walk in to the room wearing their pajamas.

"Just wanted to say goodnight to you guys." Hayley and Abigail said smiling at them. Hayley was wearing her pink pajama pants with the pajama shirt with the hood and pink puffballs on the ends of the strings. Abigail was wearing a similar outfit except hers was purple. Both of the girls went back to their room after saying goodnight to Aaron and Drew who turned out the lights and quickly fell asleep.

One of the boys who Aaron threw in to the fountain was a few doors down the hall and still awake. He threw his pokeball revealing a Haunter. "Haunter go to room 223 and give that Aaron kid a nightmare." He said sternly as his Pokémon phased through the wall. Aaron was fast asleep when the Haunter loomed over him and performed the nightmare attack before returning to his trainer.

Aaron was battling against a trainer with his Rattata by his side. Then all of a sudden its eyes glowed red as it glared at Aaron and attacked him. Aaron screamed as he fought with the Pokémon. Little did he know that his actions were also occurring in the real world as Drew woke up to see Aaron thrashing and kicking and screaming in his sleep with his Pokémon trying to calm him down with no luck.

"Abigail, Hayley, wake up! Something's wrong with Aaron!" Drew shouted banging on the door connecting their rooms. Abigail and Hayley ran over to Aaron's bed where he was still in the state that he had been in.

Abigail looked at Aaron. "Is there something that we can do to wake him?" Abigail asked.

"Shaking him won't work, I've already tried that." Drew told her.

"Bring me his bag. I think that I know something that might work." Hayley said as Drew handed her Aaron's bag and began going through it. She pulled out a reusable water bottle with some sort of purplish liquid in it. She put the bottle to Aaron's lips and squeezed the bottle causing Aaron to swallow some of the liquid causing him to immediately wake up.

Aaron saw his Rattata and hugged him reassured that he was okay. "Thanks for getting me out of that nightmare." Aaron said looking at his three friends.

"What was in that bottle?" Drew asked curiously.

"Chesto berry juice. I use it to stay awake for long periods of time like when I need to study or just when I'm feeling sluggish. That stuff is not something that you drink because you like the taste, but I do have to admit that it grows on you." Aaron said putting the bottle away.

"I'm going to go get some water to get rid of this aftertaste." Aaron said opening the door to the room and entering the hallway. Aaron walked to a nearby vending machine and bought a bottle of water. As he turned the corner he heard voices and instinctively ducked behind the corner.

Aaron heard Professor Silverstone's voice and looked to see her walking with Professor Carter. "Atticus, we need to do something. They could endanger the students with their plans." The professor said worriedly.

"Don't worry Maria. The students will be fine. Brian is already taking care of Team Pulse and some of the other teachers are already helping him." Professor Carter said as two teachers ran up to him. "Tsunami, what happened?" Professor Carter asked Aaron's math teacher, Professor Shell.

"Skylar and I fought off the grunts, but a few of the admins got in to the ruins." Professor Shell told him as she and Professor Spark, Aaron's science teacher walked off after they were dismissed by Professor Silverstone. Aaron ran back to his room and started getting dressed in a pair of jeans and a hoodie; he recalled his Pokemon and put his pokeballs in his pocket as he pulled up the hood.

Abigail, Hayley, and Drew saw him doing all of this. "Where are you going?" Drew asked.

"I heard the professors talking about some guys called Team Pulse apparently they're causing trouble in the town. I'm going to go check it out. I think that the gym leader's involved." Aaron told them.

"We're coming with you." They all said as they ran to get dressed. Aaron sighed knowing that they would be coming with him and there was nothing that he could do about it. They all snuck out of the hotel and looked around.

"They said something about some ruins being in trouble. Do you guys know where they are?" Aaron asked.

"According to the town history, they're underground." Abigail said. Aaron looked around and saw an open manhole that looked like it had been opened recently. They all went down and followed Aaron who brought a flashlight. Aaron was following the path that looked like it had been used recently. They kept following it until they stopped in front of a wall covered with graffiti.

"Dead-end." Drew sighed.

"I don't think so. This wall doesn't match the others. Start looking for a switch or something." Aaron said as he started feeling around the wall. The others did the same until Drew hit something causing the wall to slide open. They all ran inside and found themselves in a tunnel. They kept walking until they heard voices at the end of the tunnel causing them to duck and hide as they listened.

"Brian, gym leader of Oregano Town, is all tied up and can not move, and yet he thinks that he has leverage in this." A sadistic voice said followed by a loud thud and some groaning.

"I won't tell you anything." A voice said while simultaneously panting.

"Then we'll destroy this place." The sadistic voice said.

With that, Aaron ran out of the tunnel and confronted the sadistic voice which belonged to a woman with short purple hair, a pair of black glasses, a leather vest with an image of a purple sphere with the mega evolution symbol on it, and a black skirt. "You're not going to do that on my watch." Aaron said coldly as he pulled out a pokeball and called out his Rattata. Drew and the others ran out from their hiding place and stood by Aaron ready to fight by his side.

"Kid, go home before you get hurt." She said glaring at Aaron.

Aaron hated when people disrespected him because he was young. "You're going to leave this place and free the gym leader or I'm going to make you." Aaron said clenching his fist.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." She said throwing her pokeball to reveal an Ariados. "Ariados, pin missile!" She shouted as the Pokémon shot a barrage of needles at Aaron's Rattata.

"Rattata, dodge it and follow up with a super fang!" Aaron called out as his Pokémon bit down on the large spider. "Rattata, take this yache berry and show that thing your natural gift."

"Ariados, when it gets close, use toxic." She called out. Aaron's Rattata gave the Ariados a direct hit while also getting badly poisoned by the toxic attack. Aaron's Rattata barely stood as it winced in pain trying to fight off the poison.

"Breloom, protect Rattata with a fire punch." Drew said throwing his pokeball as his Pokémon attacked the Ariados.

Drew's attack gave Aaron enough time to run over to his Rattata and give it a pecha berry. Drew's fire punch seemed to have severely injured the Ariados. "Rattata, let's finish this with a hyper fang attack!" Aaron shouted only to be cut off by a white light surrounding his Rattata and the light changing shape. When the light cleared, Aaron's Rattata was now a Raticate. "Raticate, let's finish this with hyper fang!" Aaron shouted as his newly evolved Pokémon attacked the Ariados causing it to faint.

"You won't see the last of me, kid. Plus while you were busy battling me, our leader was able to get what we came for." The Team Pulse member said smiling evilly before throwing a smoke bomb and disappearing.

Abigail and Hayley untied Brian who thanked them as he stood up. "What did they come for?" Hayley asked.

Brian sighed. "They came for the scroll detailing the history of evolution in this town from the beginning of time. Sadly, they got it. You kids are from that school. Aren't you?" He asked. They all nodded their heads. "Well thank you for saving me. I look forward to our battle tomorrow. Let me show you to the surface as my thanks." Aaron and Drew recalled their Pokémon as they followed Brian back to the surface. They then returned to their hotel rooms to rest before the big gym battle tomorrow.

Little did the friends know that they were being watched the whole time by four cloaked figures who had been watching from the shadows. "Do you think that they are worthy?" A man asked.

"Maybe not all of them, but we will have to see. Their gym battle tomorrow should prove which of them are worthy." A female voice said before walking off; the other three cloaked figures followed her as they disappeared in to the shadows.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry that this chapter is so short. I hope that you still enjoy reading it.-TranscodeNightCat**

Headmistress Silverstone along with the other teachers led all of the students to the gym; apparently the disturbance had cleared up overnight. The school had privately reserved the gym for the whole day so that all of the students could challenge the gym leader.

The referee stood on a pedestal as he started telling all of the students the rules for the gym battle. "This will be a one on one battle. Both trainers will use only one Pokémon. The battle will end when either Pokémon is unable to battle. If you are victorious, then you shall receive The Gauntlet Badge and be one step closer to challenging the Pokémon league. Now I will turn things over to the gym leader, Brian who has a few words for you.

The referee stepped down from the pedestal as Brian stood on it with the teachers by his side; he seemed to be looking directly at Aaron and Drew and it even seemed like he winked at them. "I wish all of you luck in your battle. I promise to give all of you a real gym battle, and that means that not all of you will win, but those of you that win will demonstrate strategy, strength, confidence, and most of all, your bond with your Pokémon." He finished up his speech. "Now, who's going first?" He asked which was met with several hands in the air from the students while one of Brian's assistants wheeled a healing machine to his side of the battlefield.

Abigail pushed her way through the crowd and challenged Brian first. She won her battle with ease as her Espeon had a clear advantage over fighting types. A few other students challenged him and most of them won earning their badge.

It was Hayley's turn as she called out her Butterfree; Brian called out his Hitmonchan. "Ladies first." Brian said smiling as he brushed back his shoulder length brown hair that covered his hazel eyes.

"Butterfree, let's give him a taste of your psybeam." Hayley said smiling as her Pokémon flew above the Hitmonchan and blasted it with the beam.

"Hitmonchan, fire punch." Brian called out.

"Butterfree dodge left then fly over it and show him your bug buzz." Hayley said as her Pokémon gracefully dodged the attack and hit the Hitmonchan with a bug buzz.

"Counter with an ice punch!" Brian shouted as the Butterfree was knocked back by the attack.

Hayley cringed as she watched her Pokémon take the attack. "Butterfree, are you okay?" She asked worriedly as her Butterfree brushed itself off and stood up. "Free." It said still ready to fight. "Butterfree, bug buzz, one more time." Hayley said as her Pokémon flew up high and channeled all of its energy to attack the Hitmonchan causing it to faint. Hayley's Butterfree flew over to her and landed on her arm. Brian handed her a gym badge.

"Very well done, your gracefulness is remarkable." Headmistress Silverstone said smiling at her. "Drew, your next." She said as he walked on to the battlefield calling out his Breloom. Brian called out his Machoke and told Drew that he could go first.

"Breloom, thunder punch." Drew said mimicking a boxer as he punched the air while his Breloom landed a punch on Brian's Machoke. "Now, let's follow it up with a double fire punch." Drew said performing an uppercut on the air.

"Machoke, give him a bullet punch." Brian shouted as the Pokémon started rapidly punching Drew's Breloom.

"Don't give him any openings. Duck and move." Drew called out shielding his face with his fists. "Give him a low-sweep with your tail." Drew said as the Machoke fell on to his back. "Finish him with a drain punch." Drew said jumping up and aiming his fist at the ground while his Breloom did the same thing rendering the Machoke unconscious.

Brian recalled his Pokémon and walked over to Drew handing him his badge. "You and your Pokémon fight as one. You clearly operate on the same rhythm they way that you battle." Professor Carter told Drew as he gave him a congratulatory handshake.

Aaron was up next as he called out his Raticate. "I hope that you're ready for this, Aaron. Let's do it Hitmonlee!" Brian shouted as he called out his Pokémon. "Hitmonlee, low kick." Brian shouted as the Hitmonlee rushed at Aaron's Raticate.

"Raticate use your speed to dodge it!" Aaron called out as his Pokémon who ran to the side. "Catch this and use natural gift." Aaron said throwing a lum berry at his Raticate who was bathed in a periwinkle light as he absorbed the berry and charged at the Hitmonlee from behind as he knocked it to the ground.

The Pokémon quickly jumped back allowing it to stand back up. "High jump kick!" Brian shouted as the Hitmonlee charged at Aaron's Raticate and kicked it so hard that it went flying and hit the wall.

"Raticate, are you okay?" Aaron asked as his Pokémon stood back up and ran on to the field; it nodded its head and let out a small cry showing that it still had some fight left in it. Aaron reached in to his berry bag and pulled out a rare berry that he found in the store room when he was organizing it. "Raticate, show him your natural gift once more with the legendary power of the starf berry!" Aaron shouted tossing the berry to his Raticate who caught it and was bathed in a pink light as it rushed at the Hitmonlee and knocked it against the wall causing it to faint from the impact.

Aaron hugged his Raticate before recalling it. "Your bond is incredible." Headmistress Silverstone said smiling at him. "You are definitely worthy of that badge." She told him before walking off.

The students finished up their time at the gym with the majority of them earning their gym badge. They then returned to the hotel where they would stay one more night before returning back to the school in the morning. That night everyone was asleep in their rooms after spending the rest of the day celebrating their victories at the gym and looking around Oregano Town.

The moon was clearly visible as four cloaked figures stood on the roof of the hotel. "Do you think that they all passed the test?" The female voice asked.

"I feel all but one passed the test, Abigail. While she is quite powerful on her own, her bond with her Pokémon harbors something that is dark. I fear that choosing her could have dire consequences." A male voice told her as the other two figures seemed to nod their heads in agreement.

"Do you think that she may align herself with the ranks of Team Pulse?" The female voice asked worriedly.

"It's hard to say, but there is that possibility." The male voice said.

The female sighed. "I have always trusted you, and your judgment. Abigail shall not be selected, but we need to insure that she does not join them." She looked at the two other cloaked figures who knew their mission. "As for the rest, they shall be taken in one night after they return from Oregano town."

"Isn't that a little soon? Don't we need to give them more tests to see if they are truly worthy?" One of the other two cloaked figures asked worriedly.

"We don't have time. Team Pulse is planning something big, and we need to be ready. I feel that these kids are worthy, and if they succeed then they shall help us defeat Team Pulse." The female voice said. "I know the risk that we are taking, but we don't have much of a choice." She sighed. The others all nodded their heads knowing what would happen to the kids. The female dismissed them as they all vanished from the rooftop.


	6. Chapter 6

The return from Oregano Town was fairly normal. Classes resumed afterwards, but the students who lost their gym battle were required to write an essay about what they did wrong in their gym battle and what they could have done better. They then were required to log a certain number hours of training otherwise they would not be allowed to challenge the gym again on their next field trip.

Aaron's classes were normal except it seemed that his teachers seemed to be paying very close attention to him, Drew, and Hayley. After battle class that day, the bell rang while Professor Silverstone sat at her desk with her head down. Abigail had already packed up her stuff and left while Aaron, Drew, and Hayley were still packing their stuff and talking about what they observed today. "It was really weird today. Professor Shell excused me from my homework tonight." Drew said.

"Us too." Hayley said. "Did you guys notice how Professor Spark's Manectric kept glaring at us? It's almost always paying attention to Professor Spark."

"I saw that. The same thing was going on with Professor Carter's Lucario, and Professor Carter always looked at us directly when he would mention a great battle." Aaron replied. "Something weird is going on."

"Can you three please come up here?" Professor Silverstone said looking up from her desk.

"Looks like we're in trouble." Drew said as they all approached her desk.

"You three are not in trouble." Professor Silverstone said reassuring them as she continued speaking. "I need you three to meet me in my office at eleven PM sharp. If anyone should stop you, these passes will let them know that you are allowed to be out past curfew tonight." She said reaching in to her desk and pulling out three clear cards with the school's emblem in the middle handing one to each student.

"Why do you need us to be at your office so late?" Hayley asked looking at the card.

"I can't tell you right now, but please be there by eleven PM sharp. Please." She said grabbing her leather briefcase and walking off hurriedly with a look of worry in her eye.

"Are we going to go?" Hayley asked her friends.

"She looked pretty worried. Something might be wrong. Plus she's the headmistress, and we can't just turn her down." Drew said.

"We're going. Something is up. You guys saw it with our teachers and if Professor Silverstone is involved then it must be important. It might be about those guys from the ruins in Oregano Town." Aaron said with his Raticate by his side who agreed with him. Drew and Hayley nodded their heads in understanding knowing that they would be meeting the professor tonight to find out what was going on.

Aaron went back to his dorm and finished up all of his homework before taking a shower and getting dressed in a pair of black jeans, a black t-shirt, and a gray jacket. Drew put on a pair of blue athletic shorts and a dark green t-shirt. The two then knocked on Hayley's door; she walked out of her room wearing a red skirt and a light blue t-shirt matching her hair color. She also had a red bow in her hair.

Aaron was taken aback slightly by how pretty she looked as he was used to seeing her in her school uniform. "Well, let's go." Hayley said holding up her pass which the other two did. They walked out of the dormitory and started walking to the administrative building where Headmistress Silverstone's office was located. At night the campus was empty, all of the students were in their dorms as it was past curfew, but they did see a few students who were sneaking out of their dorms. They continued walking and every time they were stopped by a security guard, they would show their passes and the security guard would allow them to walk by.

They were currently walking by the fountain when four cloaked figures appeared. "Freeze." One of them said holding out their hand.

Drew thought to pull out his pass. "Guys were supposed to be here. We have somewhere to be." He said holding up his pass.

The cloaked figures each threw their pokeballs. One called out a Manectric, another called out a Lucario, one called out a Gyarados, and the final one called out an Audino. They all rolled up their left sleeve to show a silver bracelet with an unusual stone in the middle. They touched the stones and called out. "Mega evolve!" As a light was released from the stone causing their Pokémon to change forms.

"They mega evolved." Hayley said in shock.

"We do not want to hurt you, so please just come with us." The one with the mega Lucario said.

Hayley, Drew, and Aaron all shared a look as they threw their pokeballs. "Raticate, super fang!" Aaron shouted.

"Breloom, thunder punch!" Drew shouted.

"Butterfree, bug buzz!" Hayley called out.

The cloaked figures all shared a look. "We're very sorry about this. We didn't want to have to use force. Manectric, thunder wave!" One of them called out as the Pokémon released a large wave of electricity that knocked them as well as their Pokémon to the ground.

"Audino, put them all to sleep." One of the figures said as her Audino ran at the downed trainers and Pokémon and touched them with its feelers. "We're very sorry about this." Aaron heard her say before the Audino caused him to black out.

 _Somewhere after eleven PM_

"Audino, heal pulse." One of the cloaked figures called out to her Pokémon as it shot a beam at Aaron and his Raticate causing him to wake up.

Aaron woke up rubbing his head while sitting up on a hard stone floor. The room was dark, but Aaron could make out four shadowy figures looking down at him from four pillars. Then several torches spontaneously ignited giving Aaron a better view of his surroundings. He hugged his Raticate. "I'm glad that you're okay." He told it before letting go. "What do you guys want?" Aaron asked looking around to see that he was in some sort of cavern with several intricate carvings on the walls; there were two daises on the floor.

"Young trainer, you have been selected to receive a great power." One of them said. "There is the power of mega evolution which any trainer can master with a strong bond, but there is a power greater than that."

"What is it?" Aaron asked him.

"When a trainer becomes one with their Pokémon, a power greater than mega evolution can be achieved. This is an ancient power called soul-merge evolution. Trainer and Pokémon share their strength, their feelings, and their pain to create something greater than the sum of their parts. You and your Raticate exhibit the qualities worthy to achieve soul-merge evolution. Step on the dais if you wish to accept this power, but I must warn you. If the power does not accept you, then you shall be consumed by it and possibly be destroyed." He told Aaron.

"Why me and why now?" Aaron asked looking at him suspiciously.

"You and your Pokémon show the qualities required to achieve soul-merge evolution. I would be lying though if I didn't tell you why you have been selected now. Team Pulse is formulating a plan of great evil to capture the legendary Pokémon, Darkrai and use its power to wreak havoc and chaos on the world. Sadly though that is not all, there is a forbidden evolution form that rivals that of soul-merge evolution; it is called dark-soul evolution. They plan to use Darkrai to complete the forbidden ritual by corrupting the heart of trainer and Pokémon to forge a bond of pure darkness. We need you to help us stop it. Will you accept?" He asked.

Aaron didn't say anything, he just stepped on the dais with his Raticate stepping on the other one. One of the cloaked figures produced a very ornate box from within their cloak. Inside of the box was a very ornate dagger that had several carvings on the hilt and the blade; Aaron thought he saw something resembling the symbol for mega evolution on it. He jumped from his pillar and walked over to Aaron holding the dagger; he grabbed Aaron's right wrist. "Just relax." He said as he cut Aaron's palm with the dagger causing him to wince in pain. He then walked over to Aaron's Raticate and did the same thing to its paw.

The daises beneath their feet started glowing a blue color as he leapt back on to his pillar and all four of them began reciting an incantation. "The bond between trainer and Pokémon is strong. These two wish to prove their souls are one. Through divine judgment, determine whether or not they are worthy to wield soul-merge evolution." Aaron and his Raticate floated in to the air bathed in the light. Aaron struggled as he felt a pain surge through him, but he fought it; as did his Raticate. They both fell back on to the daises as the light dissipated.

All four figures jumped from their pillars and surrounded Aaron and his Raticate. "Congratulations, the power has accepted you. Now please come with us." One of them said as a cavern opened up. Aaron followed them through a tunnel until he found himself in what appeared to be a cavern that had been converted in to a control room with monitors lining the walls and several other pieces of technology that all looked very advanced and complicated. Sitting at a large conference table, Aaron saw Drew and Hayley and ran over to them.

"I take it the power accepted you too?" Hayley and Drew asked Aaron who nodded their heads.

The four cloaked figures stood at the front of the table and looked at the kids. "Everyone is here now. We know who you are, and now you should know who we are." They said pulling their hoods down. The kids all stood there in shock when they saw Professor Shell, Professor Carter, Professor Spark, and Headmistress Silverstone. Professor Carter began speaking. "Now that everyone is acquainted, let's go over why you're here. You have been selected because you three exhibit a bond with your Pokémon greater than any. For generations, this school has selected students to take on the power of soul-merge evolution, but this year is a bit special. We usually find one or two students a year, but this time we have three. You three will defeat Team Pulse and prevent them from causing chaos."

"What about classes?" Hayley asked.

"Your classes will resume normally, but when we call upon you three, you will be excused from your classes. We will be your advisors and commanders, but we will still be your teachers and hold you up to a certain standard with a few minor exceptions." Headmistress Silverstone explained to them.

"Now that everything has been explained, allow me to show you how to use your powers. Please call out your Pokémon." All three kids called out their Pokémon. "Now hold up the palm that was cut and recite after me." All three kids held up their palms. "Together we share more than a bond. We share our strength, feelings, and pain. Together we are greater than the sum of our parts. Now, come forth, soul-merge evolution." All three of the kids recited as their palms glowed with two of the mega evolution symbols crossed to look like a coat of arms.

The beams of light hit their Pokémon who glowed as they started to change form. The light vanished, and Aaron saw his Raticate was now a silver color and its claws seemed longer. Aaron also felt different; he felt faster, stronger, and closer to his Raticate.

Drew's Breloom now had what appeared to be a mushroom shaped biker-helmet, and it's tail seemed to have bigger spores on it; it also had what appeared to be boxing gloves on its hands. Hayley's Butterfree now had very intricate designs on its wings which were a lot bigger; it actually seemed big enough to ride.

"Very well done. Now end your transformation." Headmistress Silverstone said as the students held up their hands once more causing their Pokémon to return to normal.

"We have no missions for you tonight, but we will have one soon. We just wanted to make sure that you were ready." Professor Carter explained as he pushed a button on a console causing an elevator to open. "Go back to your dorms for tonight. This elevator will take you to the boiler room of the dorms. To return, just turn the green wheel and put your hand on the scanner when it appears." Professor Carter said as he motioned for the kids to return to their dorms.

Aaron, Drew, and Hayley returned to their dorms still trying to figure out what happened tonight. Aaron was still wondering what kind of mission that they would be getting soon. Luckily for Hayley, Abigail was still asleep when she returned to her room.


	7. Chapter 7

**Wow, haven't updated this in a while. Sorry about that guys, but I hope that you enjoy this chapter anyway.**

Aaron was asleep in his bed after a long day of classes and a late night of studying. He heard someone knocking on his door, but tried to ignore it as he tried going back to sleep. He then saw the door swing open and the person flipped the light on. Professor Spark was standing there. "Come on you two. Get up. You have a mission tonight."

"Five more minutes." Drew mumbled turning over.

Aaron sighed and let out a small groan. "Get up or my Manectric will have to talk to you two." She said as the Pokémon let out a cry.

"Give me a sec." Aaron said rolling out of bed in just a pair of shorts. He walked over to his mini fridge and grabbed a bottle of chesto berry juice. He took a long drink before getting dressed. Drew on the other hand had to be dragged from his bunk by Professor Spark's Manectric. Aaron grabbed his berry bag and his pokeballs and put them in his hoodie before meeting up with Drew and Hayley inside the school's secret cavern.

"What's the mission tonight?" Drew asked.

"Well first, we forgot to give you kids these." Professor Carter said handing each of them a watch; Drew's was green, Hayley's was pink, and Aaron's was gray.

"Cool." Drew said adjusting the green leather band and examining the silver timepiece.

"Those watches have a built in transmitter that will beep and glow when we call you." Professor Carter explained as the kids put on their watches.

"Now for your mission tonight." Professor Silverstone began as she hit a few buttons on a control pad and the table projected a hologram. "We need you kids to go to Tarragon City. Team Pulse is going to be robbing the Deco Co. research facility. They're currently working on a device capable of amplifying the powers of a Pokémon. We need you to stop them. They could cause a lot of damage if they got their hands on that technology."

"How are we going to get there? That place is miles from here." Drew said.

"Don't worry about that. We're going to be taking the helicopter." Professor Carter said pulling out his phone. "Bring down the Skarmory."

"Come on. We don't have any time to lose." Professor Silverstone said running outside with the kids. The rumbling of turning rotors could be heard outside as the school's private helicopter landed; it was silver in color and had the school emblem on the side and the tail.

"Let's get going." Professor Carter said climbing in to the copilot seat of the helicopter while the other teachers stayed behind. Aaron, Drew, and Hayley got in to the back as the door slid shut and the helicopter took off.

It was about twenty minutes before the helicopter landed outside of the city. "Why couldn't we have landed closer?" Drew asked.

"We don't need them to know that we're coming for them." Aaron said hopping out.

"Right, now you kids get going and I'll stay here." Professor Carter told them. That was all Aaron needed to here as he broke in to a sprint with Hayley and Drew tagging closely behind him.

"Aaron, wait up." Hayley said catching up with him.

"We don't have time." Aaron said as they finally made it to the building.

"Gym class has been paying off." Drew said as they looked around. "Shouldn't there be more of them or something?" Drew asked looking around the front door.

"I see them. They're hiding." Aaron said pointing to a trashcan with a pair of eyes looking out of them.

"Well, let's let them know that they've been caught." Drew pulled out a pokeball. "Breloom, mega punch." Drew whispered as he threw it and the Pokémon knocked the trashcan high in to the sky as well as the Team Pulse grunt. "Let's get inside and take these guys out." Drew said as they all ran inside.

"Look." Hayley said pointing to an unconscious security guard.

Drew walked over and checked his pulse. "He's fine, just unconscious." Drew said propping him up against a wall. "Looks like he was hit with a pretty nasty attack." Drew observed the bruises and cuts on his arms and face.

Aaron walked over and took a look at him. He then began going through the guard's pockets. "Aaron, what are you doing?" Hayley asked looking concerned.

"I'm borrowing this." Aaron said taking his key card. "Let's go." Aaron said walking to the elevator and opening it. They all stepped inside and hit one of the buttons before stopping on the second floor where they left the elevator. "Stay alert." Aaron said kicking open an office door. He looked around and saw nothing. "You guys keep looking. I think I might have something." Aaron said holding up a map that he pulled from one of the desk drawers.

"Well then, we're coming with you." Hayley told him.

"No, you're not. If this lead turns out to be false, then we'll have wasted all of our time trying to find Team Pulse who will have already gotten away. I'm going alone."

"He's right. Hayley and I will keep looking. Just do what you have to do." Drew said as he looked at Aaron who tossed him the key card before running off.

Aaron got in the elevator and pulled out a pokeball calling out his Minun. He looked at the buttons and saw a slot for a key card; he tried the other card, but it didn't work. "Minun, I want you to override the circuit and get this thing to take us to the top floor." The Pokémon began channeling its electricity through the controls with the lights flickering on and off. After Aaron recalled it, the elevator started moving until the digital reader at the top read _21_. Aaron got out of the elevator and cautiously looked around. He didn't see anyone, but that didn't stop him from calling out his Raticate; the room looked clean and well kempt for the most part besides a few papers scattered on the desk. "Alright guys, come on out." Aaron said loudly.

With that, several people ran in to the room surrounding Aaron. "What gave us away?" One of them asked.

"You did." Aaron said calling out his Plusle and Minun to help him.

"You're clever kid. I'll give you that, but you're an idiot for coming here." He said as they all grabbed their pokeballs. Aaron was surrounded by a variety of Pokémon including Skorupi, Koffing, Grimer, Sandshrew, Sharpedo, Stunky, and Golbat.

"You're the idiots for challenging me." Aaron said looking at his Pokémon. "Battle formation electric charge." Both his Plusle and Minun jumped up high as they prepared electro ball attacks. Aaron's Raticate quickly attacked the Pokémon distracted by the electro ball landing critical attacks due to their vulnerability. "Raticate, take this nomel berry and show them the power of your natural gift!" Aaron's Raticate absorbed the berry's power as it was bathed in a dark blue light and charged all of the remaining Pokémon rendering them fainted.

"You're strong kid. I'll give you that, but you're not going to find anything in here." They all jumped out the windows and used some sort of cable system as they climbed up the roof.

Aaron heard a helicopter take off as he walked over to the desk and took a seat in the large leather chair. There were several buttons and controls built in to the arm rest including what appeared to be a TV remote. Aaron hit the power button and watched as the luxurious chair spun around to face the wall which opened up a secret compartment revealing an incredibly large TV. Aaron got out of the chair and began going through the objects on the desk. He first examined the letter opener and set it down. Then he picked up the nametag and read it. _Francis Deco III._ Aaron flipped over the triangular nameplate and looked at the bottom to see something inscribed on it. _5498._ Aaron smiled as he set the nameplate down and walked back over to the chair and took a seat. He typed the numbers on the remote and watched as the TV turned off and it turned upwards revealing a hidden elevator. Aaron walked inside and watched the secret elevator close as it started moving downward. "Hopefully this thing will have some answers." Aaron thought to himself as he watched himself go lower and lower until the elevator finally stopped.

Aaron stepped out only to be confronted by two grunts holding guns. "Congratulations on making it here. You must be very intelligent to have gotten this far." A voice said sitting behind a very large computer. "You two, lower those things. That's no way to treat our guest." The grunts did as they were told, but not before knocking Aaron to the ground with the butt of the gun and then standing to guard the elevator. The person behind the voice stood up and walked away from his computer and over to Aaron who was laying on the ground. He was wearing a black trench coat with the symbol of Team Pulse on his left breast. He pulled down his dark sunglasses briefly as he stared at Aaron. "Come on. Stand up." He helped Aaron to his feet and looked at him. "You must have had some serious skill to take out the grunts up top. So are you looking for a job?" Aaron shook his head. "Too bad, you would have done great things with us. Are you looking to prove something to yourself or someone else maybe?" He asked. Aaron shrugged his shoulders. The man chuckled. "You don't know. Not knowing is so much fun. It alludes to a sense of innocence. Sadly this world takes innocence away from kids like you, but we still learn to have fun." He had an evil grin on his face.

"Come on boss. Stop toying with him, and just take him out." One of the grunts called out crossing his arms.

"Shut up! I'm talking to my new friend." His attitude changed almost instantly as the same evil grin returned to his face. "Sorry about them. It can be so hard to find good help sometimes." He then put a hand on Aaron's shoulder and looked down at him. "I know who you are. I know about your power. The boss was even talking about you after what he heard happened in Oregano Town." He smiled.

"Who's the boss?" Aaron asked.

"You're looking at him." He chuckled. "I feel like you're wasting your power with the others. We both know that you're powerful, but I know that you will be stronger under my guidance. Those others are a distraction that you don't need. Please tell me that you'll at least consider my offer."

Aaron put his head down unresponsively. "If you're going to give me the silent treatment, please honor me with a battle, so that I can witness the power that others have mentioned to me." Aaron shook his head while he circled him. "Please let Xavier have some fun with you." He begged sarcastically. "Please, you know that you want to beat me, right here and right now. I'm giving you the opportunity, so do it." He taunted. Aaron's hand clenched in to a fist as he reached in to his hoodie and pulled out a pokeball. "There we go. Now we can really get to know each other." Xavier smiled as he backed up towards the wall of the underground laboratory while Aaron backed up towards the elevator. "Let's go, Hydreigon. Now, let's see what you have."

"Go, Raticate." Aaron called throwing his pokeball.

"Quite the healthy Pokémon, you must take very good care of it." Xavier commented.

"I do." Aaron said looking at his partner who looked back at him before they both turned to face Xavier and his Hydreigon.

"Now, show me your real power. Let me see what makes you special." Xavier grinned.

Aaron looked at Xavier, then his Hydreigon, then his Raticate, then back at Xavier, and then his Raticate. Aaron held up his palm to his Raticate. "Soul-merge evolution!" His palm glowed as he recited the oath in his mind; the beam from the symbol hit his Raticate and turned it in to the silver creature that now shared a link with Aaron.

"Oh, goodie." Xavier clapped his hands excitedly. "Now we can really have some fun together. Hydreigon, dark pulse."

Aaron's Raticate immediately jumped to avoid the attack, but was immediately knocked down as Xavier's Hydreigon rushed him. Aaron fell on to his knee as he forced himself back up. "Natural gift!" Aaron shouted clenching a nomel berry in his hand which glowed a dark blue as did his Raticate. His Raticate rushed the Hydreigon and hit it directly only for him to see that it was still standing there unfazed by the attack. "How is that possible? That should have done something." Aaron stood there in shock and disbelief.

"You're not strong enough to beat me." Xavier said. "But if you were to join me you'd have all of the power you could want. You might even be strong enough to beat me."

"I'm not joining you." Aaron glared at him.

"Fine then, Hydreigon, finish him off with draco meteor." Aaron watched his Raticate get decimated by the attack as it fell to the ground and reverted back to its normal form. Aaron recalled it before falling to the floor clutching his chest in pain and coughing up a little bit of blood. Xavier walked over to him after he recalled his own Pokémon. "I really was expecting more from you." He looked down at Aaron whose eyes were barely able to stay open. "Would you like to join me now?"

Aaron reached up his hand which Xavier grabbed. "No." He said clutching the pendant on Xavier's neck and ripping it as he fell back down; Xavier failed to notice the missing pendant from his neck as he walked off with his guards.

"Too bad." Xavier said walking to the elevator with his guards. He pulled a detonator from his pocket and hit it watching as the laboratory went up in flames. Aaron clutched the black stone attached to the silver chain tightly in his hand.

Aaron was ready to give up as his eyes closed trying to fight the pain with no luck. "Hey, I found him." Aaron heard a voice say as he felt someone lifting him up. "Man, he's in really bad shape." Aaron heard another voice say something before his eyes closed. The two figures lifted him on to their shoulders for support as they dragged him to the elevator and exited the building; the fire seemed to be contained in the secret laboratory.

The group carried Aaron out of the city towards the helicopter where Professor Carter was waiting. "What happened to him?" Professor Carter asked as they lifted Aaron in to the helicopter and strapped him in to his seat.

"I don't really know. We found him in some sort of secret lab that was covered in fire." Drew said as they started flying.

"Is he going to be okay?" Hayley asked.

"He should be fine, but the real question is how long he will take to heal." Professor Carter said examining Aaron and checking some of his vitals. "Did you see anyone else while you were in there?"

"No, but it looks like Aaron saw someone." Drew said looking at his torn clothing and cuts and bruises.

"Look, once we get back to the school, you kids go back to your rooms, and I'll make sure that Aaron gets to the infirmary and no one finds out about the mission." Once the helicopter landed, a stretcher was waiting for Aaron who was whisked away to the infirmary while Drew and Hayley went to their rooms to get some rest before they had to get up for class.

Aaron was laying in a hospital bed with his wounds bandaged wearing a pair of his lounge pants and a t-shirt that Drew had grabbed for him from his room, and Professor Silverstone's Audino had dressed him in them. "Atticus, how did this happen?" Professor Silverstone asked looking at Aaron who was laying in the bed.

"I don't really know. All I can assume was that Team Pulse did it." He sighed looking at Aaron and feeling bad. .

"Look, we both knew something like this would happen at some point. Let's just let him rest, and we can question him later."

"Do you have an alibi for him yet?"

"Several, we've been planning this for a while, and I'm more than well prepared to deal with any complications concerning his job and his school work interfering." Professor Silverstone said walking out of the room with Professor Carter; Aaron still had the necklace gripped tightly in his hand as he remained asleep.


End file.
